Issue #151 All About Email

Part One - Email Love Figma Plugin → HTML Email Builder

Hi, friend. 👋

Welcome to Issue #151 of All About Email!

Last week, Elizabeth Jacobi took over my newsletter as the third of my summer guest authors 😎 ⛱️.

This week, it’s back to me as we start a mini-series on the new Email Love Figma plugin and take a look at “Components” and “Email Design" Systems”.

This plugin allows you to create beautiful emails and convert them to HTML (code) for email.

Let’s go! 👇

Email Love Figma Plugin → HTML Email Builder

🚨 There are no affiliate links in this email. But if you do want to join the Email Love affiliate programme, you can, but 🤫 it hasn’t officially launched.

What is Figma?

🔎 In the first part of our mini-series friend, we’ll introduce the plugin, the problem it solves and cover some important terms.

If you aren’t familiar with Figma, it’s a powerful design tool that allows you to design anything limited to your imagination.

It’s so powerful and disruptive that Adobe failed to acquire it (which I think is a good thing).

💶 To get started, Figma is free to use, and you only need the free plan to take the Email Love Figma to HTML Builder for a spin.

What is the Figma to HTML Email Builder?

In their own words, the hook is “bye-bye image-only emails”, but there is much more to it.

  1. Get started by designing an email for free with 40+ 
pre-built components. (This excites me a lot! 🎉)

  2. Create an email design system with our global style controls for unified brand aesthetics.

  3. Create your own custom components with auto-layout 
or convert your existing templates. (Speaking of components, support is coming for Parcel! 📦)

  4. Export accessible, mobile-friendly, best practice email HTML or MJML directly from Figma.

The Pain Point it Solves

The Email Love Figma plugin takes the headache out of the email development process by enabling you to export responsive, ready-to-go email HTML or MJML directly from Figma.

Email Love

🧠 It’s a great move by Email Love to create a plugin like this. It’s a frequent issue marketers face for several reasons (to name but a few):

  • Lack of coding knowledge

  • Lack of time/budget

  • A restrictive ESP

I’m not “necessarily” saying “image emails” are wrong (that’s a newsletter topic on its own), but if we can avoid all image emails, it’s not a bad thing either.

Before You Go

✋ Now, as we finish this week’s newsletter friend, and see what’s coming next week before finishing with a packed Email Marketing News & Tips, I wanted to cover some points above quickly.

Do you know what an “Email Design” system is? What about “components”?

💡 To fully appreciate this new plugin from Email Love, it’s helpful to know what these things are and the huge benefits they can bring.

These awesome resources have you covered:

  • Components, or as Litmus refers to them (email modules), are reusable content blocks that can be combined in different combinations.

  • Email Design systems (as defined by Litmus) are a collection of reusable components guided by standards that teams use to create on-brand emails more consistently and efficiently.

Now, you can see how these two different terms are related. If you would like to go a bit further or you’d like some other sources, check out:

If you’re a visual learner, watch this Parcel and Megan Boshuyzen video. 👇

That’s it for this week 👋

⏭️ Next week is about how to “Utilise Seasonal Segmentation in Email Marketing” from my next summer guest author, Vicky Smith.

⏭️ ⏭️ The week after will be the next part of our mini-series diving into Email Love’s Figma to HTML Email Builder.

Email Marketing News & Tips

This week's excellent and insightful Email News & Tips:

  • Curated - By Emily. (Email Love & Emily Ryan)

  • 8 Ways - To annoy your email subscribers. (Vicky Smith)

  • Re-engage - Before you Disengage! (SocketLabs)

  • Myth Busters - Lauren’s (least) Favorite Email Myths. (Send It Right)

  • Next Steps - What Should I Do Next With My Newsletter? A Conversation With Claire Zulkey. (Inbox Collective)

  • Celebration - My good friend Emily Ryan won the award for “Most Engaged Audience” at the inaugural “Forward Awards” from Mailchimp and FastCompany. (Emily Ryan)

  • Sneak - Your Way Into the Inbox With These 3 Weird Tricks. (Alison Gootee & Braze)

  • FAQ - Do unsubscribes hurt Sender Reputation? (Lauren Meyer)

  • Email Spotlight - Why do they love email, and what’s their #1 email marketing tip? (House of Email)

  • You Can Do It - Email Love announces Guest Curators, and you can be part of it friend. (Email Love)

If you have a question about this email or email marketing, reply, and I will answer you as soon as possible.

I hope you have a great week! 👋

Simon Harper's handwritten signaturee